If We Hold On Together
by Serenity Dragonrider
Summary: This story pays tribute to The Land Before Time, a childhood favorite. Edelweiss and the dragonets want to show their elders that they're not babies anymore. They set out on a big adventure thinking they're ready for one. But then they get stranded on an island they learn that they have have to rely on each other in order to get home again.
1. Chapter 1

If We Hold on Together

On Dragon Island in the beginning of summer, Edelweiss and her four dragonets were gathered around the tide pools. They went there everyday, and each time was different. They were the best of friends and planed to be forever.

Edelweiss was almost six years old. She had flowing black hair and vivd emerald green eyes. She had on a teal t-shirt, kaki shorts, and sandals. She had been born with dragon's blood in her veins. She was one of the only three humans in the world that could speak Dragontongue, the other two being her parents Serenity and Chris. She loved her family more than anything.

Edelweiss's riding dragon was Black Widow. She was the rarest dragon in the world. She was half Night Fury and half Blackfang. She had the sonar flaps, eyes, wings, tail, fins, and body of a Night Fury, and like a Night Fury her teeth were retractable; she had a long muscular neck, the long legs of a wolf, the talons of a lizard, a narrow head with a square forehead. Her teeth were black and very poisonous, one bite would kill anything in less than an instant. She was glossy black, with red eyes and red hour glass shape on her forehead. She wore a black head plate that was covered in spider web engravings. On the forehead was the engraving of a black spider with the red hourglass shape on its abdomen.

The other female was Princess Avalon. She was teal green with violet purple horns and spines, and her eyes were lavender. She was a Whippertail where the last third of her tail had no bones, just solid muscles. It was very flexible and could be used to grab things, and could be used for a whip. It was covered in tiny barbs that were smaller than a human eyelash and sharper than fish hooks. On her head was a purple head plate that doubled as her crown. It had a celtic design of a maple leaf on the forehead. She was born with the gift of magic, which she had fully mastered. She was next in line to be the Dragon Queen like her mother Aurora.

Avalon's brother, Prince Apollo, was also born with the gift of magic. He was blood red with gold horns, spines, talons, and eyes. His head plate was darker red with the gold insignia of a dolphin leaping over a lyre, surrounded by a wreath. He was next in line to be the Prime Minister like is uncle Tenor.

The oldest of the bunch was an orphaned young dragonet named Eider. He was a Whipfang. He had a Whipperfang's tail, and black venomous teeth like a Blackfang. He was a vivid shiny purple with black horns, spines, and talons. His eyes were amber gold. His head plate/crown was also amber with a king eider duck on the forehead. He had been orphaned when a group of humans shot down and killed his parents. He was still traumatized by it and missed his parents a lot. He was being looked after by Ruby and Harmony. Ruby had raised Serenity since she was younger than Edelweiss. As a result Eider saw Serenity as a sister, and Edelweiss as a niece.

They were currently playing Catch the Crab. The terrain was too rocky and slippery for Edelweiss, so she had to ride one of the dragonets which at the moment was Eider. Avalon had the crab and ran from pool to pool splashing water everywhere. Black Widow was hot on her heels. Then Eider cut her came out of no where and cut her off, forcing her to slow down. Edelweiss snagged the crab from Avalon's jaws, and Eider took off. Edelweiss held it for him, if he held it the crab would be killed. But then suddenly the crab pinched Edelweiss's delicate fingers. She screamed, as it hurt so bad. Eider skidded to a stop, knee deep in one of the pools. The others caught up.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Eider asked looking over his wing.

"The crab is on my finger, and it won't let go," Edelweiss wailed. She tried to pry her fingers out of the crab's claws. It was holding on with all it's might. Eider knelt down and Black Widow helped Edelweiss off Eider's back.

"I could bite it," Black Widow suggested.

"You're talking like a human," said Apollo. "We want to get it off with out hurting it."

"Just set it on the ground," Avalon said. "It'll let go on its own." Edelweiss set the crab on a nearby rock. Once it was on solid ground the crab let go and scuttled off. Edelweiss looked at her fingers. The index and middle finger were both cut and bleeding.

"Here, let me see," Avalon said softly, she had Aurora's motherly voice. Edelweiss held out her hand. Avalon sat on her haunches and held her hand, examining it. She covered it with her other paw and whispered an incantation. She let go and Edelweiss looked at her fingers. They had been healed, and they no longer hurt.

"Thank you," she said. She hugged Avalon, and the Princess purred.

"Should we head home?" asked Apollo. "It's almost high tide."

"Well, when the tide comes in we'll go play on the beach near the throne room," Eider said.

"I know," said Black Widow. "We can have race through the island to see who gets to the beach first."

"Why bother, we all know you're going to win," said Eider. Black Widow hissed at him. Then she tackled him into a shallow pool. She pinned him down growling.

"That is the same type of ridicule my father had to listen to when he was my age," she said.

"That's enough Black Widow," Avalon said with real authority. "Eider meant you, and your father no offense." Black Widow relaxed a bit and let Eider stand up. At that moment the tide came in and washed over the dragonets' talons. Edelweiss got back on Eider. They took off running towards the beach.

When they got there they slowed to a halt. The sky was growing grey with storm clouds. The ocean was choppy and the smell of brine was in the air. Dragons of all types were flying over the island calling to each other. The dragonets watched them for a bit.

"I can't wait until we get our thrones," said Apollo.

"Mama says we don't get our thrones until we unlock out titan wing," Black Widow said.

"Who exactly says you get to be the queen?" asked Eider. "And Apollo only gets the position of Prime Minister?"

"It's tradition that the position of King or Queen goes to the eldest offspring of the current King or Queen," Avalon said. "But since Mom and Dad's eldest offspring is human, the tradition has to be bent a little. I hatched before Apollo did."

"So humans can't occupy the Draconian thrones?" Apollo asked.

"Correct," Avalon said. "If they do, that means the human race has taken over the entire planet."

"Good to know Draco draws the line somewhere," said Black Widow. "And you don't mind being just the Prime Minister."

"Uncle Tenor told me all the cool things I'll get to do," Apollo said. "Like I get to order about the town leaders and work with them to come up with anything that would make the country more prosperous."

"So how does this work?" Edelweiss asked.

"The four of us run the country together," Avalon said. "And we work with the leaders of the dragon squadrons, to make sure our kind doesn't go extinct. The dragons of the squadrons report to their leaders, the leaders report to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister reports to the King and Queen. Unless we're in a war, then everyone reports to the Captain of the Guard. The Captain of the Guard gets to command all the squadron leaders in battle, including us. She also commands the border guards who are stationed on the wall that marks our borders. She's also judge and jury for any criminals that are caught and brought to the castle by those guards."

"Wow," said Edelweiss. "What do I get to do?" The dragonets looked at each other.

"Well, that's up to you?" said Avalon. "Do you want to be a soldier like your father or a dragon healer like your mother?"

"Maybe I can be a spy or something," Edelweiss said. "Break dragons out of their cages, and things like that. So in other words, I'll be both." The dragonets smiled.

"Okay then," Apollo said. "We know what our rolls are going to be, we should get a chance to try them out."

"How?" asked Black Widow.

"Don't know," said Avalon. "Something will come up. But in the meantime, we should go inside it's about to rain." She lead the way towards the throne room where their elders were waiting.

"We're going to Berk tomorrow," said Apollo. "Maybe we can hang out with Hegan."

"Good idea," said Avalon.

"As long as that which doesn't come near us with that stick," Black Widow hissed.

"Don't bother her then," said Eider. He broke into a canter as they neared the ivory doors.

The next day the Draconians headed for Berk for their annual Berk vs, Draconia dragon race. The dragonets were excited. Aurora had used her magic to put everyone's war paint on. Ruby and Harmony were joining the races this time. Ruby had neon blue spots all over his body. Harmony has black zebra stripes all over her body. She refused to have her wings painted as the paint would stain her feathers and it would never wash out.

They landed in the plaza. The Vikings were setting up the stands. Hiccup was putting red paint on Toothless. They both looked up when the Draconians landed and folded their wings.

"You're a bit early, we just started setting up," Hiccup said.

"Well then we'll help you set up," Re said. "What still needs to be done?"

"The sheep need to be brought down from Sven's farm and into the pen next to the sheep launcher," Hiccup said.

"Can we do that? We're in the mood for chasing things," said Eider.

"Go ahead," said Hiccup. The dragonets looked up at Aurora, who nodded her approval.

The dragonets spread their wings and flew to the farm where the sheep were penned. Edelweiss was riding Avalon. They landed at the farmlands and spotted the sheep. Black Widow climbed over the fence like a spider, then crept up on the sheep. The others were stationed at the gate. Black Widow let out a loud roar which startled the sheep. They scattered around the paddock. Apollo and Eider opened the gate and ran in to help Black Widow herd the sheep out of the paddock. When they ran out Avalon joined them. The sheep ran towards the village, the dragonets pushing them towards it. The sheep were fast, but the dragonets were faster. They let out loud roars to keep the sheep running. Every once in a while a sheep would break off from the herd, only to have the closest dragonet chase it back in line.

Soon they reached the plaza and pushed the sheep into the pen next to the sheep launcher. Gobber closed the gate, the sheep started running in circles for a bit. The dragonets kept roaring at them.

"Alright save it for the race you lot," Gobber said. The dragonets left the pen and roamed about the plaza looking for something to do.

"Do you guys think I'm old enough for a rider yet?" asked Black Widow. Avalon looked her up and down.

"I think so," she said. "But there's only one way to be positive." She looked over her wing at Edelweiss. She dismounted Avalon and carefully mounted Black Widow, who was already wearing her saddle. When she was in place, Black Widow stood up.

"Well I guess you are old enough," said Apollo. Black Widow beamed.

"We should try flying," Edelweiss said.

"Good thinking," Black Widow said. The other dragonets backed up. Black Widow spread her wings and was about to take off.

"What are you lot up to?" said someone behind them. Black Widow spun around and saw Toothless and Stormfly looking down at them.

"Sorry sir," said Black Widow. "I was seeing if I'm old enough for a rider."

"You certainly look old enough," said Stormfly.

"Do you plan on racing?" Toothless asked Edelweiss.

"Mother doesn't want me to race, at least until these dragonets reach maturity," Edelweiss said.

"Fair enough," Stormfly said. They turned and walked off when they heard their riders calling them. The dragonets turned to each other again.

"We should go join our parents," Black Widow said. "It'll be lunchtime soon."

"Good idea," said Apollo. Black Widow looked over her wing at Edelweiss.

"Hang on," she said. She spread her wings and lifted off the ground. She flew over to the middle of the plaza where their parents were.

"Hi Mama," Avalon exclaimed, running to her mother. Aurora lowered her head and nuzzled her dragonets.

"You guys ready?" she asked. Apollo went into a playful crouch, wagging his tail. The riders came up to them, they were all painted.

"Everything's ready," Hiccup said. "The race will take place after lunch."

"Can we go play in the woods?" Avalon asked.

"Yes, you may," Aurora said. "But don't go passed the Cove, and come back when I call you."

"Yes Mama," said Avalon. The dragonets turned and took off towards the woods. The adult dragons took off and went to catch fish. Chris and Serenity went up to the Golden Apple Tree.

The dragonets ran through the woods as fast as they could, burning off energy. Edelweiss held on tight as Black Widow sped through the trees. Soon they came to the Cove. They stopped and looked inside.

"Wow, that place never changes," said Apollo. He spread his wings and flew over the Cove.

"Where are you going?" called Avalon. "Mama said don't go passed the Cove." Apollo turned around. He considered for a few minuets. He looked around.

"We'll go this way then," he said, pointing to the right of the Cove. "That's not passed the Cove."

"Well, alright," said Avalon.

"Besides," said Apollo, as they started off again. "We're at the top of the food chain here, what could possibly kill us for food."

"Good point Apollo," said Black Widow. Avalon frowned when she felt like the only responsible one there.

They cantered through the woods. However they didn't see the pack of boars stalking them. The dragonets soon came over a small hill and saw a massive tree, broken down the middle and fallen over.

"Hey I know this place," said Avalon. "This is where Toothless crashed all those years ago."

"You mean he crashed into this tree?" asked Edelweiss.

"Yup," said Avalon. They all flinched, looking at the damaged tree.

"I'm guessing that crashing into this tree is what cut his tail fin off," said Black Widow. Suddenly they heard the rustling of shrubs. They tensed up and scanned the bushes. Edelweiss gripped the saddle nervously. Then about three packs of boars began closing in on the dragonets. They kept oinking to each other. The dragonets took up a fighting stance. Black Widow shot a red plasma blast at them. A few of the boars ran off, but the rest stayed. They pounced on the dragonets, all at once. Edelweiss held on for her life as Black Widow fought off three boars at once. They all dropped dead when bitten by Black Widow's venomous teeth. But then another boar jumped her from behind and knocked Edelweiss off the saddle. She screamed when she hit the ground and boar pinned her down. Eider tackled the boar. He tried to bite it with his venomous teeth, but the boar evaded him. More boars attacked him. Edelweiss was pinned down by the same boar.

The dragonets fought the best they could but the boars had them outnumbered. A few of the dragonets got scratched up by the boars' tusks, including Edelweiss. But then suddenly there came a loud roar. A bigger plasma blast hit the ground, causing the boars to fly in several directions. The adult Draconians landed and fought off the boars, more successfully. When all the boars were either dead or long gone, the dragonets looked up to see their elders glaring down at them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The race was run shortly after the Draconians returned and Serenity checked all their injuries. Luckily all of the injuries were mere shallow scrapes and bruises. The race went on as normal. Everytime one of the Draconians got ahold of sheep they tossed it to each of their teammates whenever an opponent was close to steeling it.

After the Draconians won a very close race they all flew back to Dragon Island as the sun began to set. The dragonets knew that the scolding wasn't far off. When they reached the island they disbursed and went to the respective rooms. Re and Aurora went to the throne room with Apollo and Avalon. They landed on the ledge throne and folded their wings.

"We're sorry Mama, Papa," said Avalon.

"You should be," Re said sternly. "What made you think you could take on those boars by yourselves? There were way too many of them."

"But you guys never run from a fight," said Apollo.

"We only fight when we have to," Aurora said. "All you guys had to do, was fly away and the boars wouldn't have touched you."

"I didn't think we had anything to worry about," said Apollo, honestly. "We're dragons, we're at the top of the food chain."

"That may be true, but there are still many dangers," Aurora said. "Even we dragons must always be careful." Apollo and Avalon looked at each other, with very sorry looks on their faces.

"Are we understood?" Re asked.

"Yes," the two dragonets said in unison.

"Then come on, it's bedtime," said Aurora. She scooted them both onto their respective beds. They curled up together as their elders laid down on their beds. The two dragonets fell asleep shortly after Re and Aurora did.

Some hours later Apollo and Avalon were woken up by Black Widow. They sat up and saw her looking at them.

"What is it Black Widow?" asked Apollo.

"Come to the tide pools, then we'll talk," said Black Widow. She turned and flew back out the door. Apollo and Avalon tip toed out of bed, careful not to wake Aurora and Re. They spread their wings and flew outside.

They soared over the island and soon landed at the tide pools. It was a quarter moon out and the tide pools were covered by shallow ocean water. Black Widow, Eider, and Edelweiss were sitting on the rocks waiting for them. Edel was mounted on Eider to prevent herself from falling in. Apollo and Avalon landed and folded their wings.

"Okay were all here," said Edelweiss.

"But why are we here?" asked Apollo.

"Yeah is there a problem?" asked Avalon.

"Grown ups," Black Widow growled as she walked in front of them. "I suppose you all got the same lecture I did." She sat on her haunches.

"Mmmmhmm," they all said in unison.

"There are many dangers, even dragons must always be careful," said Apollo, quoting his parents.

"Mama and Papa are just worried that we'll get hurt," said Avalon.

"That's the problem," said Black Widow stubbornly. "They don't think we can take care of ourselves. We've gotta do something so the grown ups will stop treating us like hatchlings."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Eider. Black Widow considered.

"Well, we can run away from home," she said. They all flinched at this. "You know like those dragonets in the books Serenity reads to us. They ran away from that underground cave and became heroes."

"The Dragonets of Destiny?" said Edelweiss.

"Yeah," said Black Widow. "They saved their world without any real help from anyone."

"Um, where do we run?" asked Apollo. Black Widow considered again.

"There are other islands that are owned by dragons," she said. "We could fly to one of them, the farthest one from Dragon Island."

"That's Screaming Island," said Eider. "And it'll take us ages to get there, provided we don't get lost."

"I know how to navigate," said Black Widow. "Come on, what are we waiting for?" She spread her wings and took off.

"What about our parents?" asked Edelweiss. "They'll be sick with worry."

"Don't worry," said Black Widow. "Come the end of summer we'll make our way back home to Draconia." The other dragonets looked at each other. Then they all spread their wings and followed Black Widow over the ocean. Black Widow used the stars above to guid them towards Screaming Island. Edelweiss held onto Eider's saddle as they soon lost sight of Dragon Island.

They flew in a V formation and headed west over the ocean and other islands. The sun soon came up and the dragonets figured their elders were awake by now and looking for them. But Black Widow said not to think about that too much. They passed other dragons flying out for fishing and hunting. They greeted the dragonets as they passed. Two hours later Screaming Island appeared on the horizon. They slowly began their decent.

Screaming Island looked like most of the other dragon-owned islands. A large formation of interlocking basalt columns with only a few trees and no sandy beach. The columns got taller the closer they got to the middle of the island. Large holes had been drilled into the rock, forming a burrow for the large squadron of Whispering Deaths that lived there. The island was owned by their Alpha, the Screaming Death. He was a large albino relative of the Whispering Death. He had a long snout, red eyes, and a terrible scream. His name was Banshie. He was just waking up when he heard the dragonets approaching his island. From this far away he didn't know that they were from Draconia, and his territorial side got the better of him.

The dragonets approached the island, tired from flying so far. They were just about to start their final decent when suddenly they heard a loud scream coming from the island. Normally the scream would only have disoriented them, but because the dragonets were still so young the scream completely stunned them. The scream was so powerful that it literally knocked them out of the sky. They fell and landed on different parts of the island.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Avalon woke up a little while later. She was laying on her back on the rocky ground. Her back was in serious pain. But she knew that she had to get up and find the others. She rolled onto her side, onto her front, and sat up. She flapped her wings to see if she had broken anything. Luckily, she didn't. She used her magic to fix the pain in her back, then she stood up. She couldn't see any of the others, but she knew she had find them. She spread her wings and flew off. She began calling for her brother and friends. Luckily she didn't run into any Whispering Deaths.

Soon she spotted Apollo flagging her down. Avalon flew down and landed next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Apollo said. "Though my ears are still ringing."

"Have you found anyone else?" asked Avalon.

"No, I just woke up," said Apollo. Just then they heard loud calls from above. They looked up to see Black Widow and Eider flying towards them. Avalon let out a loud roar, letting the other two where they were. Black Widow and Eider spotted them and landed next to them.

"Did either of you see Edel?" asked Black Widow.

"No we didn't," said Apollo. "You couldn't find her?" The other two shook their heads.

"We have to find her," Black Widow said, panicking. "She's more fragile than we are." She spread her wings and took off. The others followed.

"We should keep our eyes out for Whispering Deaths," said Avalon. "They may not want us here."

"Good idea," said Eider.

"Stop talking back there," Black Widow snapped over her wing. "And keep you eye open for Edel." She turned her focus back to the ground.

Soon they had searched a majority of the island. Black Widow was getting more and more worried, as a result she kept snapping at her comrades. They put up with it as they new she was worried about her rider. Eventually they landed next to one of the few trees on the island.

"Maybe she fell into the ocean," said Apollo. He looked in the direction of said body of water.

"Oh, I hope not," said Avalon.

"We have to find her," said Black Widow. "It's getting dark." They all looked up at the sun, and saw that it was true.

"Edelweiss!" they all called in unison. They were about to take off again when they heard something.

"Help!" it said, it sounded quite feint. The dragonets looked around for the voice, but couldn't find the source. Then Black Widow felt something hit her on the head then drop to the ground. She looked and saw the dragon scale locket Serenity always wore. She and the other dragonets looked up and saw Edelweiss high up in the tree, hanging upside down with her foot wedged between two branches. She struggled to get free but her foot wouldn't budge.

"Hang on Edel!" Black Widow called.

"You go up and get her," said Eider. "We'll circle underneath here in case she falls." Black Widow nodded. Then she climbed up the tree like her spider. She went up to the branch Edelweiss was stuck on. The other three circled under the branch. Black Widow reached the branch. She put one paw on it, to test its strength. It sagged slightly, but didn't crack. She crawled towards her rider. She began working out a plan to get Edel unstuck. Black Widow pulled her poisonous teeth into her gums. Then she wrapped her tail around the branch and dangled upside down right next to Edel. She could hear her whimpering.

"It's okay Edel," Black Widow said. "I'll get you free." She wrapped all four paws around Edel. Then she used one of her back paws to free her trapped foot. When it came free, Black Widow spread her wings and glided to the ground. She set her rider down then landed. The other three dragonets soon joined them.

"Nice climbing Black Widow," said Avalon. Black Widow beamed with pride.

"They don't call me Black Widow for nothing," she said.

"Mother says humans will fear only one thing, and that's spiders," said Apollo.

"And why shouldn't they," said Black Widow. "I mean have you guys seen a picture of a garden spider? They're huge, five times the size of my little black spider." Edelweiss shivered. She wasn't a fan of spiders. She often saw them around the Draconian Castle. Luckily none of them had had the red hourglass, but they were creepy all the same. When ever she saw one she would freeze up and just stare at it, until someone came and took care of it.

"I hope to see a black widow spider someday," Black Widow continued.

"Um, can we move onto a different topic?" asked Avalon. "Edelweiss looks like she's about to die of freight." Black Widow looked over at her rider and saw that it was true. The girl was curled into a ball her green eyes darting around.

"Yeah I supose," Black Widow said. Eider reached into a pouch in his armor and pulled out the locket. He handed it Edelweiss.

"You should hold onto this, I'm sure your mother will want it back," he said. Edelweiss took it and put it in her pocket. The dragonets all sat in a big circle. Apollo dug a fire pit, filled it with logs, and lit it with his red fire. The sun began to sink lower in the sky.

"So what do we do now?" asked Avalon.

"We should go to another island," Apollo suggested. "I mean, it's only a matter of time before our parents find us here."

"You're right," said Black Widow. "Tomorrow we'll go to The Isle of Change."

"Hold on a minuet," Eider protested. "You picked Screaming Island, I don't think it's fare that you get to pick another island." Black Widow narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright then Eider," she said. "Where do you want to go?" Eider thought for a minuet.

"Breakneck Bog," he said finally. "It's home to the Smothering Smokebreaths."

"Okay," said Avalon. "I believe their alpha is Pirate. But we should bring them something metal as a piece offering." Apollo used his magic to conjure up a large metal spoon.

"Will this work?" he asked. Avalon looked at it.

"Something bigger," she said. Apollo turned the spook into a metal candlestick. Avalon beamed.

"Perfect," she said. Then she yawned and laid her head on her front paws. "Get some rest you lot, we have another long flight ahead of us." Edelweiss curled up next to Black Widow, who warmed her spot with her red fire. The other dragonets soon fell asleep and let the fire burn itself out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next morning Edelweiss and the dragonets woke up as the sun came over the horizon. The fire was long out. They all got up, and stretched. Avalon used her magic to give Edelweiss a change of clothes. Once that was done, Edelweiss mounted Apollo.

"Which way to Breakneck Bog?" asked Black Widow. Avalon conjured up a map and spread it out on a flat rock. It showed the whole archipelago. Avalon pointed out Berk and Dragon Island.

"We are here," she said, pointing to the island the farthest from Dragon Island. "Breakneck Bog is way on the other side of Dragon Island." Black Widow looked at the map, memorizing it.

"Okay I think I can get us there," she said after a while. Avalon rolled up the map and made it vanish.

"What about weather?" Edelweiss asked. Apollo instantly stared strait ahead with a blank look on his face.

"I don't see any bad weather happening," he said finally. "Do you Avalon?" Avalon mimicked his expression.

"There will be bad weather, but yeah nothing for today," she said.

"Come on then, what are we waiting for?" said Black Widow. She shuffled her wings anxiously. Apollo looked over his wing at Edelweiss.

"Hold on tight," he said. Edelweiss gripped the saddle. The dragonets spread their wings and took off. Black Widow led the way towards Breakneck Bog. They flew in formation. They sang songs the whole way. Avalon used her magic to create a tail wind.

They soon lost sight of Screaming Island. They flew passed other islands and sea stacks. There were other dragons out fishing and socializing. They paid the dragonets no heed. They steered clear of Dragon Island. When they were well passed it they picked up speed. They headed east towards Breakneck Bog.

Back at Screaming Island Banshie emerged from his cave for a fishing trip. He suddenly spotted the chard logs and ashes where the dragonets had camped. He flew down to investigate. At that moment Queen Fireworm landed on a tall column, followed by many of her workers. Banshie turned to acknowledge her.

"What brings you way out here Queen Fireworm?" he asked.

"The Draconian King and Queen just sent me a Hermes Dragon," Fireworm said. "Apparently the young Draconian heirs have gone missing. Re and Aurora have the whole archipelago looking for them. Have you seen them?" Banshie considered. His gaze fell back on the chard logs.

"I haven't seen them no," he said. "But someone came here, it might have been them."

"Well if you do see them, report it to Dragon Island," Fireworm said. Banshie nodded. Fireworm turned and flew off.

The dragonets were approaching Breakneck Bog. They went in for landing. Suddenly they were surrounded by dense grey fog. The dragonets remained calm, as they new what the fog was.

"Hello Smokebreaths!" Avalon called. A large silver and black Smothering Smokebreath hovered in front of them.

"Ah, the runaways," he said.

"We prefer the term, explorers," said Apollo. "Are you Pirate?"

"Yes," Pirate said. "Your parents are looking for you."

"We'll go back to them," said Black Widow. Edelweiss reached into Apollo's saddlebags and pulled out the metal candlestick.

"Can we trade this for one night on your island?" she asked. Pirate looked at the candlestick and considered.

"I suppose," he said finally. "But on the condition that you return to Dragon Island tomorrow." The dragonets looked at each other.

"Alright, it's a deal," Black Widow said, crossing her talons where Pirate couldn't see them. Pirate took the candlestick and the Smokebreaths flew off. The dragonets descended towards the island.

They flew through the trees, looking for a clear place to land and set up camp. But the air was filled with fog, which made seeing very difficult. The dragonets flew even lower. Then suddenly Black Widow smacked into a large pine tree. She fell to the ground dazed. The other dragonets landed near the tree, and Edelweiss dismounted. All of a sudden the tree started to fall towards Black Widow.

"Look out!" Edelweiss cried, she ran towards her dragon. Black Widow looked up at the tree. She went to move out of the way, but the tree landed on her tail. She roared in pain. The other dragonets rushed to her side. Her tail was pinned under the tree trunk.

"Are you okay Black Widow?" asked Apollo.

"It got my tail," Black Widow groaned, clearly in pain. Apollo, Avalon, and Eider tried to roll the tree off her tail. But the tree was big, and very heavy.

"Edel, come help," Avalon called. There came no answer. The dragonets grew concerned. They left the trunk for the moment.

"Edelweiss!" Apollo called. "Where are you?" Suddenly there came a loud cry, from the top of the tree. The went over to investigate. Eider ran along the top of the trunk. He spotted Edelweiss pinned to the ground under the tree's branches. Apollo and Avalon crawled through the branches to her. Avalon nudged her.

"Edel, are you okay?" she asked. Edelweiss opened her eyes. Her face had been scratched up by the rough bark, her face was covered in blood.

"We'll have to lift the tree off both of them," said Eider.

"How?" asked Apollo. "This tree's way too heavy." Avalon sighed.

"I wish our parents were here," she said. "They would know what to do."

"You're right," said Eider. "Well we should at least get Edel out." The three of them began breaking the branches around Edelweiss.

They kept at it for a long time. Avalon helped Edelweiss worm out from under the tree. After an hour and a half of breaking branches, she came free. Avalon flew her to an open patch of grass and began checking her injuries. She didn't have any broken bones, just a lot of bleeding cuts. Apollo and Eider turned their attention to Black Widow.

"Can you use your magic to get the tree off?" Eider asked. Apollo looked up at the big tree, intimidated.

"I've never moved anything that big before," he said. Avalon walked up next to her youngest brother.

"I'll help you," she said. "Eider will you keep Edel company?" Eider nodded and obediently trotted over to Edelweiss and laid next to her. Avalon and Apollo faced the tree. Black Widow watched them with curiosity.

"Has this ever been done before?" asked Apollo. "Two dragons combining their magic?"

"No," said Avalon. "No royal family has had two dragons with magic before." She turned back to the tree. Both she and Apollo focused on the task at hand. They combined a levitation spell, and focused everything on the large tree. Then it slowly began to lift off the ground. They didn't lift it far, just far enough so that Black Widow could slide her tail out from under it. Once she was free, she joined Eider and Edelweiss. Avalon and Apollo set the tree down. Black Widow looked down at her tail fins. They were both intact, but the little bones jutted out at disturbing angles. She tried to move them, but ended up screaming in pain.

"Oh, I think I broke my tail fins," she moaned. Avalon examined the damage.

"Yes, in both of them," she confirmed.

"Can you fix them?" Black Widow asked.

"I can set the bones, but they will have to heal on their own," Avalon said. "If I were you, I wouldn't try flying for a while." Black Widow's face fell.

"So we're stuck here?" asked Apollo. Avalon nodded.

"Afraid so," she said. Edelweiss started crying.

"How do we get home if we can't all fly?" asked Apollo. They all thought for a minuet.

"We could ask Pirate for help," Eider suggested. "I'm sure he can get us home."

"Or we can make our own way home," said Avalon. "We got ourselves into this mess, we should get ourselves out."

"Okay, then what do you want to do?" asked Black Widow. Avalon considered.

"We could build a raft, put Edel and Black Widow on it then fly it back to Dragon Island," said Apollo.

"Great idea," said Eider. "What will we use for rope?"

"We'll use vines," said Apollo. "They're all over."

"First things first, we have to get to the coast," said Black Widow. Avalon turned her attention to her friend's broken tail fins. She took in a deep breath, and exhaled it on the tail fins. Instantly the bones straitened and Black Widow roared in pain. But as soon as the pain came, it went away and she could breath easy again. Apollo helped Edelweiss onto his back and the group of five made their way towards the coast. The dragonets could smell the ocean and followed the sent. Black Widow could still feel her broken tail fins every time she swayed her tail.

The sun began to set as they reached the ocean. They found a place to camp for the night. They decided to start building the raft first thing in the morning. As they all watched the sun set and the stars come out, they thought about their elders. They were really starting to miss them.

"I'm so sorry guys," Black Widow said quietly. "If I hadn't suggested we run away from home, we'd all be safe at home in our beds."

"Ah, don't worry Black Widow," said Avalon. "We'll get home"

"I guess being on your own didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped," said Black Widow.

"We're probably going to be in big trouble when we get home," said Apollo.

"That's okay, at least we'll be home," said Avalon, nuzzling his neck.

Edelweiss meanwhile was laying next to Apollo. She was trying to fall asleep, but she wasn't sleepy at all. She sat up and leaned on Apollo's shoulder, she was close to tears.

"It's no use, I can't get to sleep without my mommy," she said sadly.

"You miss her huh?" said Eider with sympathy. Edelweiss nodded. Then she did what her mother would do in this situation, she started singing a song and the other dragonets joined in.

 **Edelwiess**

When the sun went down

And everyone was sleeping

If I heard a sound

Like things around me creeping

She would wrap her arms around me

And tell me "Don't be scared"

And I knew that I was safe because

She's always there

 **Black Widow**

When the storms would come

And things would seem so bad

And I'd wanna cry

Almost

I'd listen to my dad

He promised that the rain would pass

The day would soon be fair

And I never was afraid because

He's always there

 **Together**

Always there

Someone you can count on

To comfort you

Always there

Like a green, green valley

You can come home to

 **Eider**

I remember now

Like it was yesterday

She would hold me close

And then I'd hear her say

"You know I'll never leave you...

You can find me everywhere

In the morning light, the evening star

I'm always there"

 **Together**

Always there

Someone you can count on

To comfort you

Always there

Like a green, green valley

You can come home to

The song came to an end, and they all felt slightl better. They curled up together. They said a silent prayer to Lord Draco, telling him they were sorry for being so restless, and asked him to help them get home. Then they fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning Edelweiss and the dragonets woke up. Black Widow examined her tail only to find her fins broken again, and they hurt.

"Oh, my fins are broken again," she said sadly. Avalon looked down at Black Widow's tail fins.

"I think you slept on them wrong," she said.

"What we need is my mother's medical bag," said Edelweiss. Black Widow shifted her weight and her tail blazed, causing her grip the ground with her talons in pain.

"The sooner we get home, the sooner Serenity can fix your tail," said Eider.

"Let's get to work on that raft," said Apollo. "We'll need logs and rope."

"Black Widow and Edel can stay here," said Avalon. "And get a fire started."

"Good plan," said Edelweiss. "And I'll look for vines while I gather firewood." Avalon, Eider, and Apollo spread their wings and took off to look for big logs. Edelweiss got to her feet and wondered into the woods, looking for vines and firewood. Black Widow dug a fire pit, while trying to ignore the pain in her tail. She found rocks and placed them on the brim of the fire pit.

Edelweiss soon returned to the campsite, with all the wood she could carry. She also had a few vines. She dumped the firewood into the fire pit and Black Widow lit it with her red plasma blast. The two of them huddled together to wait for the others.

They didn't have to wait long. The three other dragonets returned with a bunch of logs and vines. They got right to work building the raft. The logs were at different lengths but the dragonets were able to tie them together. They wove the vines together to make them as strong as possible. They tied vines to the edge of the raft so Apollo, Eider, and Avalon could carry it in their talons. Edelweiss and Black Widow helped in any way they could. Black Widow took over for Avalon so she could go fishing. It was a long and painful day for the young Nightfang. She moved her tail as little as possible, and she didn't dare fly.

It took all day to build the raft. They wanted to make absolutely sure it was sturdy enough for the task a head. Eider and Apollo double checked all the knots, pulling them snug. Finally it was ready.

"We should test it out," Eider suggested.

"Good idea," said Avalon. She looked over at Black Widow and Edelweiss. The two of them walked onto the raft and laid down. Avalon, Eider, and Apollo gripped the veins in their talons. Then they lifted it off the ground. They flew up the coast. Both Avalon and Apollo used a feather spell to make the raft as light as possible.

The test was a success, and the dragonets were confident enough to take it out to sea the following day. Apollo caught them all fish and they settled down, resting after a long day of working. They watched the sun go down, turning the sky red and yellow, and the ocean black and gold.

"Can you see any bad weather coming?" Eider asked Avalon. The Princess looked straight ahead.

"There will be a big storm tomorrow," she said after a bit. "Lots of wind, rain and lightning."

"How long will it last?" asked Black Widow.

"All day," Avalon said.

"Then we should wait until it passes," said Eider. "Then head out." Edelweiss hugged her legs, she looked like she was about to cry.

"It's okay Edel," Avalon said softly. "We will get home, it might take a while." Suddenly dense grey fog surrounded them.

"Oh, I forgot we weren't alone on this island," said Avalon. "Hello Pirate." The Smothering Smokebreath alpha landed in front of them.

"I thought you would be half way home by now," he said.

"Black Widow hurt her tail," said Apollo. "She can't fly, and we don't want to leave her behind. We built that raft over there so we could carry her home." Pirate looked over at the raft, he seemed impressed.

"Are you heading home tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, it's going to rain tomorrow," said Avalon. "We plan to head out when the storm passes."

"Wise," said Pirate. "We could fly to Dragon Island and tell your parents where you are."

"Would you?" said Avalon. "That would be most helpful. Tell them we're on Breakneck Bog, and that we will get home on our own." Pirate flicked his tongue like a snake. He looked over his wing at one of his friends and barked a few orders. A smaller cloud of smoke separated from the main cloud and headed out over the ocean. Pirate turned back to his guests.

"Well at least come stay in our cave," he said. "You can take shelter from the storm and add onto your raft if needed." The dragonets looked at each other.

"We might as well," Eider said. "The rain might ruin the raft."

"Alright," said Avalon. Black Widow laid back down on the raft and Edelweiss sat next to her. The other three grabbed the veins and lifted it off the ground.

They followed the Smokebreaths back towards their hive. It was nestled in the basalt columns that formed tall cliffs and canyons in the middle of the island. When they got there the dragonets flew the raft into the cave and set it down on the floor. Black Widow and Edelweiss got off the raft and laid down at the base of the piles of metal items the Smokebreaths had collected. The Smokebreaths helped the dragonets update the raft with whatever they could find that they thought was useful. The Smokebreaths were very good at welding and attached the items to the raft. They attached a pair of wings to it so it would be as light as possible.

When it was finished, the raft looked something like a glider. The dragonets admired their work and thanked the Smokebreaths for their help. The sun soon vanished and the stars came out. The dragonets went out to admire them before turning in for the night. The stars were only out for a short while, then they were covered by storm clouds. The dragonets could hear thunder in the distance. When the stars were all covered up the dragonets went back inside. The Smokebreaths had all fallen asleep, it was way too stormy for fishing. The dragonets all huddled together on top of the raft and fell asleep within minuets.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day the dragons all woke up to pouring rain, wind, and thunder. They all stayed indoors and made adjustments to the raft making it as sturdy as possible. Then they all went back to sleep to wait out the storm. It did last all day and it got even worse. The dragonets sang more songs of home. Avalon used her magic to reset the bones in Black Widow's tail fins. She was in a lot of pain and didn't know if she could make it all the way back home. She silently prayed to Lord Draco to give her strength.

The storm lasted all day and clear into the night. When the morning came the storm had passed. There were still clouds in the sky but Avalon saw no storms.

"Well," she said. "We should get moving. Our parents have worried enough."

"Yeah," Black Widow agreed. They pulled the raft outside. The Smokebreaths came out to see them off.

"Thank you Pirate," said Avalon. "For your help."

"Our pleasure Princess," Pirate said. "And the dragons I sent to Dragon Island came back with word from your parents. They said they're happy you're okay and anxiously wait your return." Black Widow and Edelweiss climbed onto the raft.

"We wish you safe travels," said one of the other Smokebreaths.

"Thank you," said Apollo. The dragonets grasped the vines in their talons. They took off and hauled the raft into to the air. They flew high above the cloud cover. Avalon and Apollo both used their magic to lighten the raft and give themselves a tail wind. They headed in the direction of Dragon Island. Draco kept the weather off them.

They soon were flying over the ocean and Breakneck Bog was long gone. They passed other dragons and other islands. They were all in a good mood now that they were heading home at last. Black Widow and Edelweiss fell asleep every now and then.

Then in the distance they saw the familiar peak of Berk. They picked up speed, eager to be back on familiar soil. Soon the island was in landing distance. The dragonets decided to land there incase their elders were there as well. The raft was steered towards the village and landed in the middle of the plaza. Eider, Avalon, and Apollo landed next to it. The Berkian dragons came to investigate.

"Ah, there you all are," said a Hobblegrunt. "You're parents are worried sick about you."

"Are they here?" asked Avalon.

"No, they're on Dragon Island," said the Hobblegrunt.

"Never hurt to check," said Apollo. "Come on, we don't have that much farther to go." The dragonets picked up the vines again and lifted the raft off the ground. They turned and headed for Dragon Island.

They flew as fast as they could. Black Widow and Edelweiss stayed wide awake the whole time. Soon they spotted the old volcano in the distance. They grew excited. They picked up speed. When they got closer they began calling out for their parents. They began their decent towards the granite jetty. In no time their elders came outside.

"Mama! Daddy!" they all cried happily. They ran to their elders and they nuzzled each other. Serenity scooped up Edelweiss and gave her a big hug.

"Thank Draco you guys are okay," Aurora said.

"We're sorry Mama," said Apollo. "We didn't mean to worry you. We wanted to show you that we weren't babies anymore."

"Oh, we know you're not babies anymore," Re said. "But you're not adults either."

"Yes, we are very sorry," said Avalon. Then Tenor spotted the raft.

"Wow, that's an impressive raft," he said.

"Black Widow hurt her tail fins," said Eider. "We built the raft so we could all get home."

"Wasn't very easy being on your own was it?" said Re. All the dragonets shook their heads. Serenity put Edelweiss down and beckoned Black Widow over.

"Lets go inside," Tenor said. They all turned and went into the throne room and onto the ledge throne.

While Serenity fixed Black Widow's tail fins the dragonets told their elders about their adventures. The adult dragons were both proud of their dragonets, and upset with them. When Re asked them what their punishment should be, what the dragonets said surprised him.

"We won't fly again," said Avalon. "Until Black Widow is better. It was our own fault she got hurt, and we take full responsibility."

"Very well," said Aurora. Serenity finished up fixing up Black Widow's tail. Apollo yawned.

"You should go get some rest," Aurora said. "I bet it was quite exhausting hauling that raft all the way back here." The dragonets nodded. They all walked out of the throne rooms and used the stairs to get up to Edelweiss's room.

When they got there Edelweiss sat on her bed and Black Widow climbed on to the large web shaped net that was suspended from the ceiling. The other three laid on the ground.

"It feels so good to be home," Avalon said.

"Yeah," Eider agreed. "I'm never running away from home again." The others agreed. They all yawned and stretched. Avalon, Apollo, and Eider all curled up on Edelweiss's bed, which was plenty big enough to hold them all comfortably. They fell asleep in minuets. Black Widow stayed in her web, as sleeping with the group would cause her pain.

Later that night Edelweiss woke up. She sat up and looked around at all her friends. Then she looked out the window and saw the full moon and the stars. She climbed out of bed, carefully and quietly. She went over to the window and sat on the large window seat. She looked out at the ocean. Suddenly she was joined by Avalon.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Bad dream?"

"No," Edelweiss said. "I just can't sleep." Avalon jumped onto the seat next to her.

"That was quite an experience wasn't it?" the Princess said.

"Yes," said Edelweiss. "It will be really challenging when you guys actually get your thrones."

"Some parts will," said Avalon. "But we have a great set of friends. As long as we stick together like we did back there, ruling our great nation will be a piece of cod." Edelweiss hugged the Princess around the neck and Avalon hugged her back. Then Avalon began singing softly.

 **Avalon**

 _Don't lose your way_

 _With each passing day_

 _You've come so far_

 _Don't throw it away_

 _Live believing_

 _Dreams are for weaving_

 _Wonders are waiting to start_

Edelweiss soon joined in, liking the song.

 **Edelweiss**

 _Live your story_

 _Faith, hope and glory_

 _Hold to the truth in your heart_

 **Both**

 _If we hold on together_

 _I know our dreams will never die_

 _Dreams see us through to forever_

 _Where clouds roll by_

 _For you and I_

 **Edelweiss**

 _Souls in the wind_

 _Must learn how to bend_

 _Seek out a star_

 _Hold on to the end_

 _Valley, mountain_

 _There is a fountain_

 _Washes our tears all away_

 _Waves are swaying_

 _Someone is praying_

 _Please let us come home to stay_

 **Both**

 _If we hold on together_

 _I know our dreams will never die_

 _Dreams see us through to forever_

 _As clouds roll by_

 _For you and I_

 **Avalon**

 _When we are out there in the dark_

 _We'll dream about the sun_

 **Both**

 _In the dark, we'll feel the light_

 _Warm our hearts, everyone_

 **Edelweiss**

 _If we hold on together_

 _I know our dreams will never die_

 **Both**

 _Dreams see us through to forever_

 _As high as souls can fly_

 _The clouds roll by_

 _For you and I_

Little did they know that all the other royal dragons and Chris and Serenity, heard every lyric. The song made them all smile, touched. Edelweiss and Avalon hugged each other again.

"Can that be our personal theme song?" Edelweiss asked. Avalon chuckled.

"I suppose," she said. "Maybe we can make it our national anthem. But for now lets go back to bed."

"Okay," said Edelweiss, with a yawn. The two of them went back to bed and fell asleep huddled with their friends.


End file.
